Overhead garage door construction



Dec. 15, 1970 J v I J. J, KEMPQL 3,546,845

OVERHEAD GARAGE noon cmsTRucTIoN Filed Jun 28, 1968 INV/iN'l'OR By 522:? J We! Mil/L4 United States Patent 015cc.

US. Cl. 52-627 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improvement in the framing rails for hinged overhead opening garage door panels which includes having the channel section flanges of horizontal rails offset to enable rolling in a locking flange or lip from the back side, rather than the front, for improved proficiency in manufacture and better appearance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Overhead opening garage doors, of the sectional type, include panels that span an opening to be closed and are hinged together at their upper and lower edges. The panel members are framed by channel-section side and crossrails with the latter usually of extruded aluminum in cross-sectional shapes which provide structural strength, allow for hinge connection of next adjacent panels, Where required, and afford a supporting shoulder for fastening the panel members to them.

In assembly, the cross-rails are spaced apart in a fixture, face side up, the panel is located on the supporting shoulder edges of the cross-rails, a cooperating lip on the shoulder wall face is rolled over to hold the panels in place, and the side rails are fastened to the ends of the crossrails over the ends of the panels to complete the framing.

Usually, the retaining lip that holds the panel to the cross-rails is visible as a bead about the edge of the panel, or as a scored area when the supporting shoulder is stepped and the lip is rolled over flush with the face of the framing side and cross-rails. Any imperfection in rolling over the retaining lip is also visible and consequently the present means of fastening panels to framing cross-rails is not too satisfactory.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improvement in the means and method of framing sectional panels for overhead opening garage doors and the like.

The cross-rails used to frame the sectional panels are formed of aluminum, or like material, by extrusion, to a cross-sectional shape which provides the necessary open channel section for structural strength. However, the connecting web between the channel flanges is sufficiently inclined, or the flanges are stepped, to dispose the face wall flange ahead of the back wall flange and allow the panel to be supported on the inner-disposed side of the face wall flange and to have a retaining lip rolled over the panel edge from the back side of the panel where it will not be visible.

In assembly, this construction allows the face wall flange of the cross-rails to rest flat on the roll forming platen, as the retaining lip is rolled over, and allows a uniform roll pressure that can be applied vertically since the back wall flange of the cross-rail is back out of the way.

A much neater and clean cut facial wall is obtained in this method of construction, the weather sealing qualities are far superior, and the incidents of scrap loss due to interruption or malfunctioning equipment, causing unsightly marks on the facial side of the framing members, is completely avoided.

3,546,845 Patented Dec. 15, 1970 Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the specification which follows in regard to a specific embodiment and arrangement of parts which best depicts the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an overhead opening sectional garage door made in accord with the teachings of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the garage door as seen in the plane of line 2-4. in the first drawing figure.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-section of a fragmentary end of one of the door section panels showing a crossrail in greater detail.

FIGS. 46 are enlarged cross-sectional views showing the extruded cross-sectional shape of the upper, lower and bottom cross-rail members, respectively, used in making sectional door panels.

FIG. 7 is a further enlarged cross-section of the supporting shoulder and retaining lip provided on the face wall flange of each cross-rail member.

FIG. 8 shows the cross-sectional shape of a center support rail used.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view through a side rail to show how it is fastened to the ends of the cross-rails.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An overhead opening sectional garage door 10 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 apart from the door opening it would close and without the guide rail tracks and operating mechanism to make it functional. It is also shown with only a top panel section 12, intermediate panel section 14 and lower panel section 16 since the number of intermediate panel sections is optional, depending upon the door opening height to be closed.

Each of the panel sections 12, 14 and 16 include a panel member 18 which is framed by vertical side rails 20 and horizontally disposed cross-rails 22 secured together at their ends and serving to structurally brace and reinforce the panel that is retained therewithin. The side and cross-rails are essentially channel-shaped in crosssection with a relative depth comparable to that of the panels 18 which are formed to include depressed ribs 24 extending across the panels for providing added structural strength. For doors of any appreciable width, a center brace 26 may be secured between the horizontal cross-rails, as shown in the first two drawing figures, but this is not significant in the construction of panel sections as taught by the present invention.

In FIGS. 3-6 the cross-sectional shape of the horizontal cross-rails are shown in greater detail and are separately identified. The intermediate panel sections 14 include a cross-rail 30 at the top edge and a cross-rail 32 at the bottom edge, for hinged connection to next adjacent panel forming cross-rails, while the upper disposed or top panel section 12 uses a cross-rail 34 on its upper edge with a cross-rail 32 along its bottom edge, and the lower panel section 16 uses a top rail 30 With a lower cross-rail 36. The cross-rails 34 and 36 are respectively at the top and bottom edges of the sectional door and consequently do not have or require the hinge connecting feature of the other cross-rails 30 and 32.

The hinging of intermediate panels to each other and to the top panel section 12 and lower most panel section 16 is by means of a hinge pin socket 40 on the cross-rail 32 that is receptive of a smaller hinge pin extrusion 42 provided on the cross-rail 30. A panel with one or the other of the socket or hinge pin forms when fitted with its mating counterpart on another panel is interlocked and connected for hinged actuation of one relative to the other across their full length and without the need of any other fittings. Even a shoulder stop 44 is provided for on the hinge pin form 42 which precludes the panels from hinging outwardly, face to face, and limits the hinge movement to that required in an overhead opening door construction.

Each of the cross-rails 30, 32, 34 and 36 is an aluminum or like extrusion and has the same cross-section throughout its entire length. The cross-rails 34 and 36 have a face wall flange 50 and a back wall flange 52 connected by a web wall 54 while the cross-rails 30 and 32 have face wall flanges 56, back wall flanges 58 and a connecting web wall 60. The back wall flanges 52 and 58 will be noted as terminating short of the free edge of the front face flanges 50 and 56 by being formed shorter, with respect to crossrails 34 and 36 in particular, and by being relatively set back as regards the cross-rails 30 and 32 in having the web wall 60 disposed at an oblique angle with respect to the face wall flange 56.

Each of the cross-rails has a roll formed lip 62 on the back side of its front face flange that extends its full length and is spaced back from the free edge of the facial flange and extends relatively thereover.

As shown in FIG. 7, the relative spacing of the lip 62 over the back side edge of a facial flange is enough to receive the edge of a panel member 18 therebetween and the overlapping part of the facial flange and underside of the lip are formed to include rib teeth 64 that interlock and will hold the panel edge therebetween when the lip is rolled flat over the back of the facial flange.

In the extrusion forming of the cross-rails, it will be noted that fastener bosses 46 are provided for metal screws 48 (as shown in FIG. 9) to fasten the side rails 20 to the ends of the cross-rails and that these are available for whatever length the cross-rail is cut since they are part of the extruded form provided. Similarly, a wedge slot 66 can be provided on the'web wall 54 of the lower crossrail 36 for weather stripping, if desired. The manner in which the panel member 18 is formed with side and crossrails is best described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 9.

A jig fixture (not shown) is used to relatively locate and space the cross-rails to be used in parallel spaced relation with their facial flanges down and to receive a panel 18 therebetween with its edges overlapping the back sides of the front face flanges and receive relatively under the retaining lip 62 and within the jaw-like opening it provides. In each instance, regardless of which of the crossrails 30, 32, 34 or 36 is considered, when the facial flange of the cross-rail is down flat, on a roll forming platen or like planular supporting surface, there is clear vertical access for any conventional means of rolling over the lip 62 into retaining engagement with the panel edge and without interference from the back wall flange of the cross-rail since it is shortened and stepped back in order to terminate short of the front flange and provide the un obstructed access desired.

The side rails 20 are used to close the ends of the panel member 18 by being secured to the ends of the cross-rails by rivet or like fastener means 68 connecting a back wall flange 70 of the side rail to the overlapped back wall flange of a cross-rail and by lanced tabs 72 which are bent out and formed over where the panel rib sections 24 abut the back flange of the side rails. The front face flange 74 of the side rails overlaps the end of the panel member and is cut back for interfitted engagement with the facial flange of the cross-rails. The screw boss 46 extends to the side rail and enables the screw fastener attachment shown.

The cross-brace 26, when used, is preferably of a hatshaped cross-section, as shown by FIG. 8, providing good structural strength and ample side flanges for attachment to the back wall flanges of the cross-rails.

In practice, the retaining lip 62 is no longer than the edge of the flange wall it extends over so that it can be used with translucent panel members and will not be visible therethrough. :It will also be noted that in the instances shown the back wall flange of the cross-rail is spaced sufliciently back from the retaining lip to allow 4 access well behind it and enable it to be opened more than is shown. However, with the facial flanges flat on the roll forming platen, or like common planular supporting surface, it is also easy to feed the panel between the closely spaced jaws since its midsection is supported and it will not sag and foreshorten its width.

Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be appreciated that certain modifications, variations and improvements are within the scope of the teachings set forth. These would include, but are not restricted to, the crimping or forming of the retaining lip by a press and variations in the cross-sectional shape of the cross-rails which would still provide the unobstructed access desired. Accordingly, only such exceptions as are specifically excluded by the language of the hereinafter appended claims are to be considered and the claims are otherwise to be given their broadest interpretation within the scope of the prior art.

I claim:

1. In an overhead opening door construction including a panel member formed to provide strengthening ribs extending thereacross and having horizontal and vertical framing members interconnected at their ends to provide a reinforcing frame therefor, the improvement comprising; a generally channel-shaped member forming at least one of said horizontal framing members, said channel-shaped member comprising spaced forwardly and rearwardly disposed flanges extending in a like direction, said channelshaped member including a web portion interconnecting a first end of said forwardly disposed flange and a first end of said rearwardly disposed flange, said rearwardly disposed flange including a first free edge therealong and being adapted for connection to a rearwardly situated first wall panel, said forwardly disposed flange including a second free edge extending therealong, a third flange portion formed on said forwardly disposed flange so as to be integrally formed therewith and so as to have a third free edge extending therealong, said third flange portion being disposed on said forwardly disposed flange so as to be generally inwardly thereof and between planes generally containing said forwardly and rearwardly disposed flanges, said third free edge and said second free edge being spaced from each other so as to therebetween define a recess for the free reception therein of an edge of a forwardly situated second wall panel, said third flange portion being permanently deformable after reception of said edge of said forwardly situated second wall panel in order to thereby secure said edge of said forwardly situated second wall panel between said third flange portion and said forwardly disposed flange without causing deformation of said forwardly disposed flange, said first free edge terminating at a distance from said web so as to leave said third flange portion clearly visible when said third flange portion is viewed from a point which is beyond the plane containing said rearwardly disposed flange and opposite thereto with respect to said forwardly disposed rflange and in a direction perpendicular to said plane generally containing said forwardly disposed flange, said first free edge terminating at said distance in order to provide access for the introduction of suitable forming means to deform said third flange portion against said edge of said forwardly situated wall panel.

2. The overhead door construction improvement of claim 1, wherein said rearwardly disposed flange is of a relatively narrower width than said forwardly disposed flange.

3. The overhead door construction improvement of claim 1, wherein said web connecting said forwardly and rearwardly disposed flanges together is disposed at an oblique angle relatively to said planes generally containing said forwardly and rearwardly disposed flanges.

4. The overhead door construction improvement of claim 1, wherein said third free edge of said third flange portion does not extend beyond the second free edge of said forwardly disposed flange when said third flange por- 5 6 tion is deformed in clamping action against said edge of 2,959,221 11/1960 Clapsaddle 160-235X said forwardly situated second wall. 3,104,699 9/ 1963 Wolf et al. 160232X 5. The overhead door construction improvement of 3,169,612 2/1965 Wolf et a1 52-475 claim 1, wherein the surface of said forwardly disposed 3,247,637 4/1966 Robertson 52-588 flange opposite to the side of said forwardly disposed 3,415,304 12/1968 Sawyer 160235 flange on which said third flange portion is formed is 3,470,660 10/1969 Van Der Lely et a1. 52471X substantially flat thereby providing for uniform force distribution therealong during the deformation of said third HENRY C. SUTHERLAND, Primary Examiner flange portion in clamping action against'said edge of said S BURKE HI Assistant Examiner forwardly situated second wall. 10

U.S. Cl. X.R.

References Cited 52475, 5 8 1 6 2 3 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,963,416 6/1934 Minshall 52-720 

